


Peter Quill's Answering Service

by StarlordandIronman



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Happy Tony Stark, M/M, Peter Quill is done with your shit Steve, Protective Peter Quill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-09 09:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12885069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlordandIronman/pseuds/StarlordandIronman
Summary: The bed was warm and Tony was singing in the shower. Peter Quill couldn't be happier. Then the phone rings.





	Peter Quill's Answering Service

Peter sighed and stretched his bare legs across the large bed. He was warm in a way he hadn't been - couldn't have been - in the days he spent alone in the bunk on his ship. But he wasn’t on his ship now, he knew that without being fully awake yet. It was in the smells that surrounded him, so clean, with that masculine spicy warmth of sandalwood smoothed out by the soft note of vanilla that made him want to bury his whole body into the sheets and just breathe. 

His mind was slow and calm as he came out of sleep to the sound of the shower running with the faint sound of singing. He loved the singing; the very singing his lover vehemently insisted he didn’t do just the night before. 

He shifted, feeling the muted ache in all the right places. His lips curled up into a dopey grin at the memory of that night. His return home after a mission that felt like months away instead of just something shy of two weeks. He hated leaving but he loved the welcome home. He didn’t even mind that the dinner was cut short – well, ok maybe that was because he was a little too impatient but really could you blame him? Tony was there in a new black button up shirt with the top four buttons undone and his sleeves rolled up showing off his forearms with that fine dusting of dark hair. Clearly that was not a time to practice anything like virtues because he was young and had waited far too long to even know what self restraint was and –

The phone was ringing.

His peeled open one unfocused green eye and glared at the ancient artifact buzzing and jingling on Tony’s nightstand. He lifted his head up and looked back to the bathroom. The water was still running and Tony was still singing.

Peter groaned and snatched the damned thing up in his fist. He didn’t look at the screen, knowing full well who had the other phone. He rolled onto his back and flipping it open.

“ Starlord's Morgue. You kill ‘em, we chill ‘em. This is Quill. How may I direct your call?”

Silence. Peter grinned. He could hear the asshole breathing.

“Um. Tony? What? Who is this? How… how did you get that phone? Is Tony there with you? Where's Stark? Put Tony on!” Rogers' questions came rapid fire with increased volume. Peter could almost feel the anger and frustration seeping through the phone.

“ Ah, no can do, Rogers. Tony is a bit unavailable at the moment. I just got back to the tower last night after a mind numbing ten days in space, you know how that is. It was a long night.” He let the stretch and yawn be heard in his voice. “I'm surprised either of us could even get out of bed this morning.” 

Peter swears he heard the Cap growl. Fucking entitled exes. 

“Listen kid –“ And that's about the time something in him snapped, because – kid? Really? His eyes narrowed and he snarled, teeth flashing.

“No! You listen, you pretentious sanctimonious slab of beef, it's over. Tony’s done. You have the nerve to call up after everything and expect what? His undying devotion? He doesn't answer to you anymore, old man.”

“Son, you have no idea what's been happening. Now, get Tony.”

Peter let out a breathy laugh. “Oh, no. You're right, Rogers,” he said, voice thick with sarcasm. He groaned as he rolled out of bed and made his way to the open bathroom door. 

“Cause my baby's fit like a day dream walking with his head down I'm the one he's walking to.”

Peter smiled as he listened to Tony totally not singing. The shower’s glass walls were surprisingly clear, because of course Tony Stark would find a way to rig it so he could see his lover shower without dealing with shower steam all over the glass. Tony’s back was to him as the water ran over his head.

“You know, in healthy relationships there's something called communication and it involves a little bit more than lies by omission and cheesy hand written notes containing arrogant false promises and a burn phone.”

“You…. You know.” It wasn’t a question.

“Know what you did? Yeah, Rogers. I’ve had to look at this ugly ass phone on Tony's bedside for six months. But guess what? We don't need you – Tony doesn't need you.”

There was silence on the other end except for the shallow breathing. 

“But here you are. Feeling lonely?” He rested his head on the door frame. “Did you wake up today and realize: shit, I just fucked up so bad.”

“Six months is a long time to keep around another man's phone.”

“I admit, I thought about breaking this thing by accident especially after he told me about what happened in Siberia, but Tony takes the Iron Man thing pretty seriously. He takes the safety of this world seriously. He won't let a grudge he has against an ex-boyfriend get in the way of being able to protect those he loves.”

Tony was washing his hair, still singing with the water in his mouth.

“My baby's fly as a jet stream high above the whole scene loves me like I'm brand new.”

“Did you ever hear him sing in the shower? Did he ever do that around you?”

He could hear the clicking in Caps voice as he tried to answer.

“No.” It was a whisper, dismantled and hallow.

“It's beautiful. Off key as fuck but beautiful.” And he had that just for himself, the thought made his breath catch, made his chest ache a little. “He's doing good now.”

“I did one thing right. Starry eyes sparking up my darkest night.”

“Look, Rogers, if you need something important, like avengers important, you're gonna have to call someone else. I don't know, call Coulson. He can usually get in contact with us if needed because I meant it when I said that Tony's done. You're not going to call again because I’d rather be dead than see that look in his eyes again.” He sighed. “And if you show up I might actually let Rocket test out that new repulser gun Tony made for him out on you.”

“No, I just expected him to ca- um, he's had the phone for over a year now.” Rogers cleared his throat, and Peter didn't miss the meaning in what Rogers refused to say.

“You really thought he'd come crawling back to you.” The realization hit like a sledge hammer to the gut. His stomach twisted and the taste in his mouth was bitter. “You’re calling because he didn't call you and you are arrogant enough to think that he'd call you for anything other than save the world type shit. Oh my god. I really should've thrown this phone out of the airlock last week.”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t think it was a possible out come.”

“No, see I trust Tony you manipulative asshole.” He had to force himself not to shout. “God, I’d hate to see what I would've come home to if you had called him yesterday morning.”

“He would've been drunk.”

“ What? God, no. Took me two months and twenty-eight days to get him sober. As I said, he’s doing ok.”

“So call it what you want, call it what you want.”

“Sober? Tony?” Peter felt himself bristle at not just the words but the tone.

“Yeah. Sober. Is that such a hard concept to understand, that people can change when given the right support group and personal motivation?”

“Tony's personal motivation always leaned towards the self destructive.”

“And you never helped to fuel that inferno, did you?”

“Tony is a grown man.”

“Tony has post traumatic stress disorder with a side of panic disorder and a whole steaming second course of internal self deprecation when it comes to those he loves and let me tell you that is the most bizarre combination in a man who is a self proclaimed narcissist.”

“Tony does not hate himself."

“You take everything at face value, Rogers.”

“Just don't be surprised when he let’s you down, kid.”

Peter growled but then deflated and smiled again as he thought of something. Something that would cut Rogers to the bone. “Rogers, I need to go Tony owes me a dance.”

Peter didn't wait for a reply, just tossed the phone into the trash without snapping it shut – let the bastard listen if he wanted to - as he pulled himself off the doorway. The air was warm and thickly humid as he pulled open the shower door. Already naked from the night before, he wrapped his arms around a grinning wet Tony.

“I thought you didn't sing.”

“Yeah, well, just as long as you don’t go blabbing to the press.” Tony smirked as he turned around in Peter's arms and kissed him on his forehead, nose and finally lingering at his lips. 

“I could be bribed into staying quiet.”

Peter's hands slipped up to Tony's shoulders.

“Dance with me.” Peter whispered. 

“In the shower?” Tony laughed, but he was already starting a gentle sway with his hands on Peter's hips.

“Yeah, way not?” 

It had taken them months to get to this point. The arguments, the depression, the colorful threats from a pissed off raccoon that finally helped lead Tony to rehab. Things were going fine.

“I want to wear his initial on a chain round my neck, chain round my neck.” Tony sang quietly, resting their foreheads together. “Not because he owns me. But because he really knows me. Which is more than they can say.”

“My baby's fly like a jet stream high above the whole scene, loves me like I'm brand new.”

“That’s not the next part,” Tony laughed.

“No?” Peter feigned shock. “Well, then you'll just have to start over and show me.”

Peter ran his hands down Tony's sides, making him shiver. “Later, I have better,” Kiss. “More pressing,” Kiss. “Matters to attend to.”

Peter laughed and smiled into the deepening kiss as he pulled the other man closer. Still turning and swaying in the shower Peter forgot all about the bad blood, the ex-captain and the anger from it all that sometimes lodged its self in his chest and let himself feel Tony's happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> The song is "Call It What You Want" by Taylor Swift. The most Starquill song ever, of course Tony knows it by heart.


End file.
